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How times have changed.... Dublin people booing a Donegal player because he punched a Kerry man 3 months ago in a league final...

greenfan (Donegal) - Posts: 789 - 23/06/2026 11:13:46    2681421

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There's at least 2 players who are not in the squad for reasons people close to it know. That has come back to haunt Jim now. Last years final was the big chance for this group. Some will step away.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8881 - 23/06/2026 12:01:55    2681437

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Replying To Scenicparish:  "Absolutely diabolical post from a so called Donegal supporter.
Your attacks on Hugh and Thomson are rediculas.
Hugh has been a great servant for Donegal for over 10 years and always given his best. He hadn't one his better days yesterday but not many players had.
As for Thompson, he has been a great player for Donegal especially for the past 3 or 4 years and his 2 pointers from his sweet left foot has been sorely missed this year. He has just battled back from an ACL injury and put in a lot of hard graft to be back playing early.
By the way what way has Murphy played since he has come back to warrant so much on line abuse?"
As a matter of interest,how many 2 pointers did Ciaran get in last years championship Have you got the stats.I remember him getting one against Monaghan in Clones last year.Was there more.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1259 - 23/06/2026 12:46:21    2681457

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By the way as posters know I have always talked positively about Jim McGuinness and wish he managed Mayo at some point in the past 15 years. So not having a pop but he definitely needs to change a couple of things going forward.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8881 - 23/06/2026 13:44:25    2681474

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Replying To TheFlaker:  "There's at least 2 players who are not in the squad for reasons people close to it know. That has come back to haunt Jim now. Last years final was the big chance for this group. Some will step away."
Young player from Naomh Conaill for one.

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1687 - 23/06/2026 13:55:45    2681475

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Replying To gunman:  "As a matter of interest,how many 2 pointers did Ciaran get in last years championship Have you got the stats.I remember him getting one against Monaghan in Clones last year.Was there more."
He definitely hit 2 of them in the Ulster final.

inthru (Donegal) - Posts: 6 - 23/06/2026 13:57:03    2681476

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Replying To gunman:  "As a matter of interest,how many 2 pointers did Ciaran get in last years championship Have you got the stats.I remember him getting one against Monaghan in Clones last year.Was there more."
He got 2 pointers v armagh in final and also Monaghan in Croker, and possibly others I cant recall now.

NORTHMEN (Donegal) - Posts: 39 - 23/06/2026 13:59:37    2681478

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Donegal peaked too early as title no 40 going to kerry. Enjoy the holidays LOL

hlynch12 (Limerick) - Posts: 124 - 23/06/2026 14:05:39    2681481

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Replying To gunman:  "As a matter of interest,how many 2 pointers did Ciaran get in last years championship Have you got the stats.I remember him getting one against Monaghan in Clones last year.Was there more."
https://www.finalwhistle.ie/gaelic/player/ciaran-thompson/ . According to this he got 7 two-pointers in 2025. 2 in the league, 3 in ulster and 2 in the all-ireland series.

greenfan (Donegal) - Posts: 789 - 23/06/2026 14:22:54    2681492

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Replying To eddieSize5Balls:  "Most posts in here are about the abuse Murphy and McGuinness are getting instead of thr actual game or plan for 2027.
Murphy has been asking for trouble especially how he's played since she's came back.
Jim has some to complain about even after we win games.
If you're in the public eye, deal with it.

Regarding the actual game and squad. How can Jim and anyone in here say we gassed out because we're playing games back to back? We played what 11 championship games last year mostly back to back and we looked fine until the final. Such a lazy excuse.
We looked poor against down when we were fresh enough and now we can safely say we only battered Kerry in Killarney due to the red card and then likely not taking it seriously. If we played them on Sunday we would have lost by 15+.

Hugh will likely retire but small odds, we need to move on from him.
Ryan will give it another go I think but he's 33 I believe or at least will be come next season.
Murphy can come back at 37/38 if he wants but he's should only be a sub.
Thompson was a big miss sure but he's also 32 I believe.
After doing his ACL, how much use will he be?


We need to get Niall OD back and tbh he has a chance to start considering how hit or miss Gallen and COD can be.

Langan and McGee were both phenomenal this year I thought. They deserved so much better from everyone else.

I just don't know who's going to fill up the bench to help in 2027. We don't have the players in the county.
It's in midfield and forward line that needs way better options of the bench. Defence will always sort itself.
I know we have a small bunch of young attackers from Aodh Rua and Four Masters coming through but they didn't get much time this year, are they truly the future? Max and Shay had good first years but they need to bulk up.

as people have said time and time again we really need a left foot free taker. Do we have any options around the county?

For goals , we need Patton. His kickouts are aimed to players whereas Gavin is just hit and hope. About 3 times in a row yesterday he aimed for his left hand side and it went out of play or safely into the hands of a dub. Not to mention his poor kickout changed the game. But fair enough, most keepers make mistakes in the new game.He's better to have on if we are a team that get a lot of frees like say a Monaghan but the way we play we don't get scoreable frees as often as I'd like.

I'd like to believe we can win it next year but unless we strengthen our bench and the inconsistent forwards cop on, We won't. However if Jim is back then I'll believe he believes we have a chance at least.

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After doing his ACL what use will he be.
That's a line from the above post and I think it says a lot about the poster.
Absolutely despicable way to talk about a player.
Paul Clancy agreed 49 died leaving a wife and family. A small bit of perspective maybe?

eoinog (Sligo) - Posts: 2488 - 23/06/2026 14:37:04    2681497

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Replying To peiledoir20:  "Young player from Naomh Conaill for one."
Correct and the Eunans man.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8881 - 23/06/2026 15:04:15    2681506

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Replying To eoinog:  "After doing his ACL what use will he be.
That's a line from the above post and I think it says a lot about the poster.
Absolutely despicable way to talk about a player.
Paul Clancy agreed 49 died leaving a wife and family. A small bit of perspective maybe?"
I didn't mean it in a bad way. Thompson is a brilliant footballer but I'm being realistic. It's extremely tough for young footballers to come back after an ACL. It's a lot tougher for older players to. I'm simply saying we might have seen the best of him and he may struggle given the age and injury.
How is that despicable ?
People in here are as bad as Jim, imagining things in their heads that didn't happen or were not said!

eddieSize5Balls (Donegal) - Posts: 430 - 23/06/2026 15:05:38    2681507

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Replying To TheFlaker:  "There's at least 2 players who are not in the squad for reasons people close to it know. That has come back to haunt Jim now. Last years final was the big chance for this group. Some will step away."
The question is would any player not currently in the squad make a difference?

I don't think we are missing anyone who would have come on and made a big difference, which probably opens up questions about or strength and depth. Losing McCahill from the League to injury was a big blow.

We have had a lot of promising players who should be key players in this panel, but for injuries or whatever, they never made it through. The likes of Kieran Gillespie, Luke Keaney, Micheal Carroll, Odhran MacNiallais and Niall O'Donnell should have been key players for the last 8 or 9 years, all huge losses to Donegal football.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1895 - 23/06/2026 15:06:04    2681508

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Replying To TheFlaker:  "Correct and the Eunans man."
Both huge loses and both turned Ulster finals in our favour in recent years coming off the bench.

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1687 - 23/06/2026 15:45:42    2681524

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Replying To Commodore:  "The question is would any player not currently in the squad make a difference?

I don't think we are missing anyone who would have come on and made a big difference, which probably opens up questions about or strength and depth. Losing McCahill from the League to injury was a big blow.

We have had a lot of promising players who should be key players in this panel, but for injuries or whatever, they never made it through. The likes of Kieran Gillespie, Luke Keaney, Micheal Carroll, Odhran MacNiallais and Niall O'Donnell should have been key players for the last 8 or 9 years, all huge losses to Donegal football."
Odhrán is the big one. what a player he was. Imagine having him in the 2pt era !
Niall surely will be back and he's pretty young still.
Do Eunan's have any young player who has yet to be called in that could add to the squad?

eddieSize5Balls (Donegal) - Posts: 430 - 23/06/2026 15:50:50    2681526

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Replying To greenfan:  "https://www.finalwhistle.ie/gaelic/player/ciaran-thompson/ . According to this he got 7 two-pointers in 2025. 2 in the league, 3 in ulster and 2 in the all-ireland series."
That's not a bad return.I don't think Langan got many last year but he really upped it this year.Murphy and Gallen with their accuracy should be getting more 2 pointers from play.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1259 - 23/06/2026 16:01:05    2681531

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Replying To peiledoir20:  "Both huge loses and both turned Ulster finals in our favour in recent years coming off the bench."
Both then played little to no part in the all Ireland series then. McGuinness continues to only trust 17/18 players and it's costing us.

Beolive92 (Donegal) - Posts: 8 - 23/06/2026 16:04:20    2681533

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Replying To eddieSize5Balls:  "Odhrán is the big one. what a player he was. Imagine having him in the 2pt era !
Niall surely will be back and he's pretty young still.
Do Eunan's have any young player who has yet to be called in that could add to the squad?"
Niall ODonnell a brilliant player.If you could combine Nialls class and scoring ability with Shanes workrate and industry you would have some player

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1259 - 23/06/2026 16:08:50    2681534

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Replying To peiledoir20:  "Both huge loses and both turned Ulster finals in our favour in recent years coming off the bench."
We need forwards who can consistently produce scores in consecutive games, and scoring the odd wonder point doesn't cut it.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1895 - 23/06/2026 16:14:25    2681539

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Replying To eddieSize5Balls:  "Odhrán is the big one. what a player he was. Imagine having him in the 2pt era !
Niall surely will be back and he's pretty young still.
Do Eunan's have any young player who has yet to be called in that could add to the squad?"
Odhran MacNiallais will be 34 next season and gaelic football has just not been the bee all and end all of his life. The commitment required is insane for intercounty level.

He was a smashing player back in 2014 but that is 12 years ago now. People have pined for her return for years but pretty sure he said no to Bonner about 6 years ago.

After a few days to reflect there does indeed appear to be something wrong with the panel and I have no idea whether they injured or are their bodies just not able to do it anymore.

Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Peadar Mogan and Ciaran Moore. Their trademarks have been lighting pace flying out of the defence as a pack. We just have not seen it this year. Eoghan Bán has not looked the same player after a bad injury a few seasons ago, Ryan is older now but even Finnbarr Roarty seems to not be motoring.

This is the Donegal engine right here. Our trademark style but all season, we have been talking about lacking energy.
When Jim was successful first time around, whilst everyone talked about MM, really the engine was Karl Lacey. Once he lost his zip, Donegal were never going to win another All Ireland.

Yes we need to mix it and kick more and focus more on spraying the ball about but the running game is in our dna and we cannot abandon it but if guys no longer have the legs for it, we are destined to fall back into the pack unfortunately.

Superstars don't fall out of trees so maybe we have to pray Karl Lacey and co can find the talent that is currently 12-16 right now that will blossom for the next generation of talent. I don't see anyone in minors or u20s right now that is going to fundamentally improve our side to stay at the top table.

shaggykev (Donegal) - Posts: 496 - 23/06/2026 16:34:32    2681546

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